1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to communication systems and methods for routing any type of information from a source facsimile terminal capable over a communications link and through a network destination server to one or more destination terminals. In particular, the present invention pertains to gathering and sending data information from a source terminal using a non-standard signaling format with extended non-standard frames to a network destination server for distribution to one or more destination terminals connected to the network destination server.
2. Discussion of the Background
Although facsimile machines have found a niche in the evolving field of computer and Radio Frequency (RF) communication networks, problems exist in "integrating" these paper-based legacy systems into modern communications networks. While advances have been made in the facsimile technology community that permit facsimiles to route messages within local networks to particular destination terminals, each known option is cumbersome in that each option requires an operator to send a facsimile multiple times if copies of the facsimile are to be received at more than one destination terminal.
Conventional facsimile machines are configured to operate as "point-to-point" communications devices and serve to send only information that is scanned into a source facsimile. As such, a single document scanned into and sent from the source facsimile to multiple destination facsimile machines occur as multiple discrete events, where each event requires separate use of a public switched telephone network (PSTN) telephone line.
Limitations with the above-described traditional approach are that it requires users at the destination and source terminals to manually interact with their respective facsimile machines, and requires a dedicated telephone line to service the destination facsimile machine. The present inventor has determined that a need exists for facsimile machines to communicate to other terminals using the shared resources of a network, and to have a "user-friendly" user interface that makes it easy for a user to send a message that includes any type of information to one or more destination terminals. Furthermore, the present inventor has determined that a need exists for a general purpose communications resource that can send facsimile data as well as any type of data information that is input from an external data source.
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) developed the CCITT/ITU-T recommendation T.30, "The Blue Book", Ver. 7, Vol. VII (hereinafter "CCITT T.30"), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, as an approach for allowing two facsimile devices to communicate facsimile data to one another using a "non-standard" message protocol. In one instance, if the two facsimile are not compatible non-standard facilities, a message protocol is established where the two terminals "train" one another regarding the formats of messages that will be transmitted between themselves as part of a handshaking process. In another instance, where the two terminals are compatible, the two terminals may immediately begin to exchange facsimile information via a non-standard frame (NSF) format. After the training session ends the two facsimile devices send facsimile data to one another.
As recognized by the present inventor, the CCITT T.30 merely defines a message protocol for initialized communications between two facsimile devices for use in facsimile pulling operations. After recognizing that many electronic devices are not adapted to communicate data remotely, the present inventor has recognized that conventional facsimile devices can be adapted to serve as general purpose communications resources that are uniquely adapted to route any type of data information to other similarly configured devices via non-standard frames in facsimile messages.